Message from Ms Matillon, Director General
Dear Parents,
Today has been a grand day in school to close out a very productive week and term!
Our senior students enjoyed a celebratory, post-mock exam breakfast, House competitions were held, and we were treated to a talent show by our Key Stage 3 performers. In Primary, children gave their all hunting for eggs hidden by the Easter Bunny, then feasted on their chocolate rewards.
I wish the entire GES community an exciting and relaxing break, whether at home or across the world. A quick reminder before you go that Monday 20th April is a staff training day and school will reopen for students on Tuesday 21st.
All the best for these two weeks of holiday, then onward to Term 3!
Christina Matillon
Hunting for Eggs at Primary
Our Primary community enjoyed hunting for chocolate in our beautiful school gardens this morning as they took part in our school’s traditional Egg Hunt.
Key Stage 1 students searched for their little “Pénélope” chicken from the story they have been reading in class, then joining their older peers in a school-wide hunt for some delicious sweet treats.
Thank you to our French department for organising this event and for the chocolatey holiday send-off!
This week in class
Year 1 scientists wrapped up their “Humans” unit with two exciting experiments exploring the senses of touch and smell.
Working in pairs, they blindfolded their partner and used a variety of different-sized paintbrushes to test whether they could feel the touch on different parts of their body. They discovered that the back of the neck is one of the most sensitive areas and that everyone experiences touch differently, with varying levels of sensitivity. They then put their sense of smell to the test by sniffing a range of mystery scents hidden in cups to guess what they might be. After revealing the answers, they learned that the sense of smell also varies from person to person.
To bring the unit together, students incorporated some bilingual learning. With support from their Francophone peers, our learners were able to identify and describe things that on peut goûter, toucher, voir, entendre et sentir, as well as label different parts of the body in French.
Well done to all of our Year 1 scientists for their curiosity, teamwork, and fantastic bilingual learning!
Our Year 2 students enjoyed making a start on their Expressive Painting topic during Art class. They learned about artists Marela Zacarías and Charlie French and were fascinated by their different artistic styles. Drawing inspiration from their research, they created their own visual notes using images, colours and words to represent their work.
During their French lessons, our Year 3 and 4 Advanced students followed the adventures of a little bird called Emma, who flew from New York to Paris and, after a storm, was carried all the way to Japan.
Through Emma’s journey in Tokyo, our learners were able to explore famous temples, learn about relaxing in the onsen (hot springs), and discovered Japanese culinary specialities. To bring their learning to life, they created their own koinobori (traditional carp streamers) and loved watching them fly in the playground.
Students love using stories in their French lessons as a window to the world to explore new cultures, encourage curiosity and, in this week’s lessons, learn to say konnichiwa (hello) and arigatō (thank you) in Japanese – because language has no borders!
Our Year 9 biologists delivered some excellent presentations this week about different genetic diseases. Having carefully researched each of their presentation topics, with a particular focus on the biological mechanism behind each illness, our students did a terrific job at educating their peers on such afflictions as sickle cell disease or haemophilia. Well done to all of them for all their hard work, careful research and clear presentations.
Beyond the Classroom
A Trip to Ancient Egypt
Year 3 had a fantastic time exploring Ancient Egypt at the Musée d’art et d’histoire last Friday. Our students were fascinated to see real artefacts, including mummies, hieroglyphs and ancient tools, bringing their classroom learning vividly to life. The guide was impressed by the depth and breadth of their knowledge, which they confidently showcased throughout the visit. It was especially exciting for them to make meaningful connections between what they have studied in class and the real objects before them. The experience has sparked great enthusiasm, and our learners are already eager to return to explore the exhibition further and discover more of the museum.
A Paw-some Assembly
In commemoration of World Pet Day, our Secondary students were treated to a special assembly led by Mr MacLean and the Zoology Club students. World Pet Day is celebrated to highlight the importance of animal companions in our lives, and to raise awareness about the many animals up for adoption who are in need of a loving home.
Three of our Key Stage 3 zoology enthusiasts brought in their pets and presented them during the assembly: Diego with his bearded dragon, Mariana with her labrador retriever, and Zoe with her dachshund. They talked about the various characteristics of their pets including their temperament, how big they grow, as well as their eating habits. The rest of the students had the exciting opportunity to interact with the pets after the assembly. Needless to say, our students’ pets enjoyed the limelight!
Key Stage 3 Talent Show
Our Key Stage 3 students took to the stage this morning for the long-awaited Talent Show!
Starting with a comedy sketch by Jaylen, Sebastian and James about a Professor and gorilla who learnt to speak and sing and then went on to attend Oxford University, the show continued with a beautiful piano waltz by Lara.
The grooves came on with an energetic hip-hop dance performance, followed by a comic “guess the teacher” sketch, and an inspiring harp recital by Angelica. Our audience of gathered students were then thrown into the dark before seeing our Year 8 glow stick dancers bring the stage to life. Musicians in Years 8 and 9 had their peers singing and swaying along with a Queen tribute band performance, a piano recital of the Amélie soundtrack, as well as our song and guitar band.
The Talent Show concluded with a hilarious teacher roast rap by Caoimhe, Lila, Isla and Miatta, featuring some brilliant observations of our teachers’ quirks!
While judges Queen Newbington and the legendary Mr Sheroy deliberated, the audience was treated to last year’s winning act: Year 13 Clemmie’s tap dancing as well as the Year 10 dead parrot sketch.
Congratulations to the winners of this year’s Talent Show:
· 1st place: Teacher roast by Caoimhe, Lila, Isla and Miatta
· 2nd place (draw): Lara on the piano and Angelica on the harp
· 3rd place: Gorilla sketch by Jaylen, Sebastian and James
Well done to all of our excellent performers and thank you to our in-house sound technician, John in Year 7, and to Lila and Miatta for compering!
Extra-curricular Activities
GES Netball Players Shine at International Tournament
On Saturday, a select group of GES girls, nominated for their outstanding netball abilities, were invited to join students from other local schools to form the Geneva Schools Team for an exciting international tournament.
Representing GES with pride, the girls took part in the U14, U16, and U19 categories, competing against strong opposition including teams from Nice, as well as both the French and Swiss national teams.
Throughout the day, the players were coached by a range of highly experienced netball coaches, giving them the invaluable opportunity to refine their skills in a competitive yet supportive environment. The tournament atmosphere encouraged teamwork, resilience, and sportsmanship, allowing the girls to push themselves, rise to new challenges, and grow in confidence.
Beyond the matches, the event also provided a fantastic chance to build new connections with players from across the region. The GES girls represented the school brilliantly, showing enthusiasm, determination, and a genuine love for the game.
A huge congratulations to all participating players — an impressive display of talent and commitment from our young athletes!
U18 Boys Futsal Tournament
Our Year 11-13 Boys enjoyed an evening of futsal this week, playing with great passion and skill against peers from the Collège du Léman and the British School of Geneva during 50 minutes of high intensity football.
A 4-4 draw against BSG was followed by an impressive 6-3 win against CDL. With BSG only beating CDL 4-2, Team GES topped the table and came away as victors in this first edition of futsal between the three schools.
A fantastic way to end the term and the exam period for our older students.
Community News
April Reading Challenge
This month’s reading challenge invites bookworms to continue celebrating the recent World Poetry Day by learning a poem by heart in the language of their choosing.
A special “Challenge Basket” of books is available in the Primary Library for those looking for inspiration.
Participants can send a video of themselves reciting their chosen poem to Ms Houghton ([email protected]) and earn both a certificate and 5 precious stars for their House.
A Golden Breakfast
No fewer than 35 of our Primary students have been invited to a Gold Certificate breakfast in the last two weeks, organised by our Head of Primary, Ms Helena Grant, to honour their dedication to exemplifying GES’ values of Integrity, Community, Achievement, Resilience and Excellence.
Well done to all of them for acting as shining examples for their peers!
News from our Tennis Prodigy
Congratulations to our Year 5 student, Danny, for his recent participation in the Vaud Tennis Circuit Kids in Vevey!
Playing against 15 other finalists, all of whom had to qualify from amongst 100 participants from previous rounds held over the last six months, Danny won all of his matches in this tournament and qualified to play in the final. He was the runner-up in a very tight match and lost on the last point, but loved every minute of this thrilling game.
Well done, Danny!
Phonics Meeting for Parents
We were delighted to host parents of students in Year 1 and Year 2 for a workshop on phonics this week!
Our very own Shelley Vavrecka delivered a presentation focusing on fluency when reading aloud or silently and the importance of mastering it in order to free up the brain’s to move beyond the decoding of sounds towards comprehension of meaning. Explaining to parents that students will begin timed reading as part of their assessment, Ms Vavrecka shared tips, tricks and fun exercises for them to practise timed repeated reads at home with their children.
